8 Responses to “Show #307: Our Interview with Kevin McAlpin”

So I did a little GMing on The Show today through the 2017 season to see what happened. Bare with me.
2015:
Traded Shelby Miller to the Royals for catcher Salvador Parez. The lineup:
2B – Pererson
CF – Maybin
1B – Freeman
C – Parez
RF – Markakis
LF – Johnson/Gomes
3B – Uribe
SS – Simmons
I traded Bethancourt, Jim Johnson and Williams Parez to the A’s for Sonny Gray. The rotation:
Gray
Teheran
Wood
Wisler
Banuelos
Finished the season at 77-85.

Tyler – in real life, are you making the Shebly for Salvador Perez trade? Perez is good, no doubt, and 20 HR’s would be a terrific add, but I’m loathe to give up a top of the rotation guy for much of anyone.

Although the Braves placed just one player in my recent top 50, they have a half-dozen players who would be candidates for the next 50, including right-handers Mike Foltynewicz, Matt Wisler and Tyrell Jenkins, all acquired in trades since the World Series ended; infielder/center fielder Jose Peraza, who has slipped with the exposure of some of his flaws at the plate this year; and first baseman/left fielder Braxton Davidson, who is showing great plate discipline and a little power at age 19 in the Class A South Atlantic League. Wisler came in the Craig Kimbrel/Melvin Upton Jr. trade, while outfielder Mallex Smith and lefty Max Fried, the latter of whom is a former top-10 pick (taken seventh overall by the Padres in 2012) now on his way back from Tommy John surgery, were acquired for Justin Upton. Right-hander Andrew Thurman, acquired with Foltynewicz in the Evan Gattis trade, just returned from a nearly two-month DL stay after he was injured in a team bus crash, but the command and control that seemed to evaporate on him last year appear to be back.

The system is a little light on future stars other than Albies and Allard, but there’s a tremendous amount of depth here, especially pitching, which Atlanta desperately needed coming out of the Frank Wren Reign of Error.

The timing of Fredi’s extension makes perfect sense to me. If Hart trades away the competitive pieces ATL has at the deadline, it will be all but a forgone conclusion that the Braves will unlikely end the season anywhere near .500, and could lose between 90-95 games. Firing him after that would be a little unfair, considering the team’s relative success it’s had despite being picked to finish second to last of all baseball with the Phillies at beginning of the season by “all the experts.” That being said, a subsequent sell off of more talent now and worsening record will undoubtedly bring outcries for the manager to be fired by other Braves fans. If he was extended then, they would question Hart’s competence and management of the ball club. Now, if the team decides to sell off trade chips and the result is the team’s inevitable decline the rest of this season, he will already be extended through ONE season to demonstrate an ability to win with a better constructed roster. If, however, the team doesn’t at least make it to a wildcard game by end of season next year, I predict he will be fired. Hart seems to have foresight and be fair. I can’t dispute any moves thus far. I, however, see him as competitive and not a push over. I don’t think he’s going to let other’s tell him what to do…especially after practically begging him to come work there. Right about now, I’m thinking the Padres wished he was their GM. I can’t understand what Preller is doing and how he thinks he could get back better talent than he already had in their farm system with those he traded for…other than Kimbrel and to a lesser extent Shields. All other contracts he got are sunk cost. Fortunately, for him, they had such a good farm system, they still have players to add. But many could be blocked by expensive veterans (see Melvin). (I can’t imagine having that much control over a company’s $$$).